Phill Collins has assured fans he is on the mend after a recent hospital stay led to rumours he had been placed in hospice care.
Collins, 74, reached out via a representative who told TMZ he is not in hospice care, instead he had undergone knee surgery.
The iconic musician announced his retirement in 2022. This followed his Not Dead Yet world tour, which ran from 2017 until 2019.
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However a number of injuries and ailments left him unable to perform on his beloved drums, with his son Nicholas, 23, stepping in on the tour and showcasing his own incredible talents.
Collins developed sudden hearing loss in his left ear in 2000, most of which he later recovered from.
In 2009 he had surgery on his upper neck and lost feeling in his fingers, leaving him unable to properly grip his drumsticks.
He also suffers from arthritis and nerve problems and underwent spinal surgery in 2015.
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Let’s take a look back at Phil Collins’ extraordinary career, how he got his start and the musical legacy he has built, and what he feels his future holds.
A toy drumkit
The musician was famously gifted a toy drumkit when he was five, putting him on the path to become one of the best drummers in the world. He expanded his repertoire with other instruments, but it was through drumming that he achieved early success.
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Collins told French television program M6 Music in 1998 that at age 12, he sold his beloved train set and his parents also contributed some money, allowing him to buy his first proper kit.
“From then on I remember it being deadly serious,” he said, adding that he always found drumming “easy”.
“I did nothing else. When other kids were out playing football or fighting, I was playing drums.”
A career spanning decades
Collins’ first foray into the entertainment industry was as an actor, even earning an uncredited role in the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night.
His most famous acting role would come over 20 years later when he was cast in the movie Buster, based on real-life events. Collins played Buster Edwards, a career criminal behind the Great Train Robbery of 1963. Playing his wife was Julie Walters.
From the movie came one of Collins’ biggest hits, a cover of the song ‘Groovy Kind of Love’.
He acted in a number of other films, all the time working on his music and touring with other artists, including George Harrison.
Collins found music success in 1970 when he joined the already signed rock group Genesis following the departure of two of the band’s original members, including the drummer.
Collins joined initially as a drummer and backing vocalist, and later became lead singer. At the time, future successful solo artist Peter Gabriel was also a member of Genesis.
Genesis quickly became popular, with several hits including ‘Dance on a Volcano’, ‘Dancing With The Moonlit Knight’ and ‘In The Cage’.
Collins began his solo career in 1978 when Genesis went on hiatus. His biggest hits included ‘Against All Odds’, ‘Sussudio’ and ‘In The Air Tonight’.
Collins, along with the biggest names in British music, donated his services to the recording of Sir Bob Geldoff’s Live Aid project ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’, which raised money for Ethiopians suffering through a famine.
The musician played drums for the song, while artists including Paul Young, Sting, Boy George and George Michael took on the vocals.
Genesis soon came out of hiatus and a hugely successful Collins happily rejoined the group for a round of world tours.
He resumed his solo career in 1989, and would dip in and out of it alongside touring with Genesis for the remainder of his career.
His solo work included working on the soundtrack for animated movie Tarzan in 1999, including smash hit ‘You’ll Be In My Heart’ for which he won an Oscar.
It is fitting that Collins’ final live show ever was with Genesis in London, surrounded by his adoring fans.
Personal Life
Collins has been married and divorced three times and has five children, including Emily in Paris star Lily Collins.
His first marriage was to childhood sweetheart Andrea Bertorelli, the pair having met in drama school in London when they were 11.
They married when they were 24 and Collins adopted Bertorelli’s daughter Joely.
They were married for five and had a son, Simon Collins, 45, who is a musician and drummer. The couple were married in 1975 and divorced in 1980.
In 1984 Collins married American-born Jill Tavelman after meeting her on tour. They welcomed daughter Lily, who later found fame as an actress.
The couple divorced in 1996 after rumours of affairs. By then Collins had found fame and fortune and paid Tavelman a £17 million ($29 million) divorce settlement.
Collins’ third and final marriage was to Orianne Cevey in 1999. The pair met when she was working as a translator on his tour. They had two sons, Nicholas, 20, and Matthew, 17.
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Nicholas followed in his father’s footsteps to become a musician and drummer, touring with his dad multiple times, including in 2019 on Collins’ Not Dead Yet tour, which included Australia. Matthew works as a visual artist.
From 2007 to 2016, Collins was in a relationship with American news anchor Dana Tyler and she and her two sons moved in with Collins in 2008.
However, the couple split in 2020 in bitter circumstances, with Collins reportedly evicting Tyler from their home after discovering she had married someone else.
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In 2012, Collins was awarded an MBE for services to art and his brother Clive accompanied him to Buckingham Palace for his Investiture Ceremony, attended by the late Queen Elizabeth.
Collins has met the British royals a number of times, including at ‘Music Day At The Palace’ in 2005, a reception held to celebrate British music and its contribution to British culture and the economy.
In 2021 Collins’ wealth was estimated to be AUD $300 million and to date has sold approximately 250 million records.
Health decline
Collins has spoken about his battle with alcoholism and mental illness. In his 2016 memoir Not Dead Yet, he said his alcoholism became worse after his third divorce but he gained his sobriety in 2013.
He underwent surgery in 2009 on an old injury in his upper neck, which left him without any feeling in his fingers. He could only drum from then on if his drumsticks were taped to his hands.
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The musician admits his health problems left him struggling mentally and at one stage he contemplated suicide; he says thoughts of his children saw him through.
In 2017, Collins was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and developed a related abscess on his foot, for which he underwent treatment.
After a fall in his hotel room in 2017, Collins hit his head and received stitches. He used a walking cane from then on and could only perform sitting down.
This week, Collins underwent knee surgery amid his ongoing battle to retain his mobility.
His final show and future plans
Collins’ final performance in London at O2 Arena saw him farewell fans from a seated position. It was an emotional moment for Collins, his bandmates and daughter Lily, who was in attendance.
“Tonight is a very special night. Of course, we’re playing in London. It’s the last stop of our tour, and it’s the last show for Genesis,” he told the crowd.
“It’s difficult for us to believe that you still came out to see it. I guess after tonight we’ve all got to get real jobs.”
The Genesis frontman has revealed he has lost his passion for music after facing health complications.
The rocker recently spoke to MOJO magazine about trying to go back to recording music.
“I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I’m not hungry for it anymore,” he told the the outlet, before he paused and added, “The thing is, I’ve been sick, I mean, very sick…”
The outlet did not share any more information about his condition.
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